UK Intelligence services have pointed out Thursday that the Russian authorities could be preparing »a major military recruitment campaign» to add another 400,000 soldiers to their ranks as part of the invasion of Ukraine, unleashed on February 24, 2022 on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
»Reports in Russian media suggest that the authorities are preparing to launch a major military recruitment campaign with the aim of adding an additional 400,000 troops,» they said, before noting that »Russia is presenting the campaign as a search for voluntary and professional personnel, rather than as a new compulsory mobilization.»
Thus, they have explained that »there is a realistic possibility that in practice this distinction is blurred and that the regional authorities are trying to meet their recruitment targets through coercion», according to a series of messages published by the British Ministry of Defense through its official account on the social network Twitter.
»Russian authorities have probably chosen a so-called ‘voluntary model’ to deal with their manpower shortages to minimize internal backlash. It is highly unlikely that the campaign will attract 400,000 genuine volunteers. In any case, rebuilding Russia’s combat capability in Ukraine will require more than just personnel. Russia needs more ammunition and supplies of military equipment than it currently has available,» they reiterated.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
